Chris Kreider was placed on unconditional waivers by the Anaheim Ducks with the intention of terminating his contract. It's the move the Ducks presumably must make to clear up salary cap space for a Cutter Gauthier signing, but it puts a veteran scorer on the market. The latest reports suggest that Kreider intends to sign with an East Coast team.

There are two types of players in the NHL, and they are split between the conferences. Kreider, who spent most of his career with the New York Rangers and has family nearby, is an East Coast player. While that limits his options, plenty of teams are interested in adding him.

The New Jersey Devils make sense on the surface level. They don't in the big picture. They make even less sense given the direction the team took this summer and how new general manager Sunny Mehta wants to build the Devils.

If there's one thing Kreider adds when he's on the ice, it's goals. He has 348 of them in his career and scored 22 with the Ducks last season. Even at 35 years old, he has a nose for the goal.

More importantly, Kreider scored in the net front and the high-danger areas. That's a downside to his game, since he knows where his bread is buttered (and where his money is made). Most teams see the way he pots goals as a valuable attribute, which is even more valuable in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Devils averaged 2.76 goals per game last season and didn't have a skater pass the 30-goal mark, so they can use goals. They need a spark in the offensive zone who is also a good player to have around on the power play. If they make the playoffs, the Devils will want dirty-area goals, the kinds Kreider provides.

Plus, Kreider is a veteran who brings teams together. A case in point is how the Ducks became a playoff team in his one season with the team, while the Rangers became a mess- the worst in the Metropolitan Division. In short, Kreider checks off a lot of boxes for the Devils.

Mehta's moves reflect a bet on high upside. He added multiple forwards this summer with the hopes that they become great, difference-making players. While Anthony Mantha and Evan Rodrigues are in their 30s, Mehta wanted younger players who can develop into stars.

Kreider is on the decline. He's 35 and only getting worse. Sure, he's still playing well and has at least one more good season in him. That said, there's a good chance he experiences a drop in production. Mehta might have made his name as a card player, but this isn't a gamble worth taking.

It also doesn't help that the Devils have a surplus of forwards after their offseason moves. One of those big adds was Luke Evangelista, who joined the team recently. Add it all up, and Kreider looks like someone the Devils will pass on.

It the type of move the Devils would have made in the past. With a young core that's on the rise, they'd add a veteran scorer to get them over the hump. Tyler Toffoli was that type of player who the Devils traded for in the 2023 offseason. That move backfired and there's a good chance a Kreider move does as well. 

Assuming Kreider signs with an East Coast team, his options are limited. In the Metropolitan Division, the two teams that make the most sense are a reunion with the New York Rangers or driving down the New Jersey Turnpike to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers, who made the playoffs last season and look to build on it. The New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins are interesting options for Kreider, but both teams want more youth in their lineups.

Then there's the Atlantic Division, where he can return to his hometown and play for the Boston Bruins, who can use his help offensively and as a mentor for prospect James Hagens. The Florida Panthers could bring him in for their third line and pick up the offense where it left off after back-to-back Cup runs. Then there's the Ottawa Senators, who might want to add a veteran like Kreider for some offense, especially since they traded away Brady Tkachuk this offseason.

Kreider isn't the type of player who will be a free agent for long. That said, the Devils are unlikely to be the team to take him off the market.